College completion agendas necessarily presume year-to-year student persistence. Institutional efforts to retain admitted students has emerged for a variety of reasons, some intrinsic and others extrinsic. Some of these reasons include (1) financial exigency as institutions strive to retain tuition-paying students or meet prescribed enrollment and retention criteria currently used in performance funding strategies; (2) reputation enhancement as institutions attempt to ascend annual publications such as the U.S. News & World Report which rely on retention rates as one of several indicators used to measure institutional quality; (3) gaining a perceived advantage in admissions, marketing, and fundraising as persistence rates have, for better or worse, become a de facto measure of quality undergraduate programs; and (4) mission fulfillment as institutions, especially public institutions, are tasked with contributing towards broadly cast social goals such as access to education, economic competitiveness, and community development. Knowledge about forces that impact student attrition is critical to the development of preventative strategies that seek to improve student persistence rates. One such environmental force that has an impact on student persistence is financial aid and a student’s ability to pay for their college education. While research examining the impact of financial aid on student persistence has accumulated over the years, little is known about how the loss of certain types of aid, specifically, state-based merit aid, affects students once they enroll in an institution. The majority of studies about financial aid’s impact on student persistence were conducted prior to the establishment of many state-wide merit scholarship programs. Tinto’s (1975, 1986, 1993) interactional theory of student departure serves as the theoretical framework employed in this study. Tinto (1975) states that entering college students bring with them specific background characteristics and initial commitments that influence the student’s social and academic integration at the institution that, in turn, impact subsequent institutional and goal commitments and, ultimately, persistence. This study intends to examine pre- and post-matriculation data gathered through the admissions and financial aid processes to develop predictive models useful in calculating the probabilities associated with Bright Futures scholarship retention, institutional persistence after losing a Bright Futures scholarship award at the conclusion of a student’s first year of enrollment, and a student’s eligibility to recapture a Bright Futures scholarship award in their third year of enrollment. Data was collected passively from institutional databases on 2,418 students meeting the study criteria for inclusion in the model building process. Findings indicate that the models developed throughout the course of this study hold potential for informing institutional retention initiatives among Bright Futures scholarship award recipients.

Atualmente a humanidade convive com a crise ambiental, que decorre da utilização desmedida dos recursos naturais para propiciar o desenvolvimento socioeconômico. Por tal motivo, a proteção ambiental é fundamental na atualidade e legado de bem-estar e saúde para as futuras gerações. As tentativas de proteção do meio ambiente englobam diversos mecanismos, dentre eles, o instituto da responsabilidade civil, que age como uma poderosa forma de intervenção e proteção no Direito Ambiental. Assim, o presente trabalho aborda os problemas do nexo causal na responsabilidade civil ambiental sob o enfoque da sociedade de risco, ao passo que os danos passam a ter novas formas e dimensões difusas, cujas consequências se refletem na mudança das bases tradicionais da responsabilidade civil ambiental. No contexto social do risco, as incertezas são a única certeza, e as decisões de riscos passam a integrar a observação das relações causais. Dessa forma, o trabalho expõe, inicialmente, os aspectos da tradicional responsabilidade civil na dogmática jurídica, mas dimensionados ao âmbito do dano ecológico. Abrange o estudo as teorias da causalidade e suas insuficiências perante o contexto da sociedade de risco. Destaca os problemas do nexo causal diante da complexidade das adversidades ambientais. Aborda, ainda, os motivos da crise da causalidade. Demonstra a influência da sociedade de risco no nexo causal e, no fim, apresenta as novas teorias relativizadoras do contexto causal como estratégias para gestão da crise da causalidade, com o anseio de adequar os novos contextos sociais e jurídicos com a efetiva responsabilização sobre o bem ambiental. / Nowadays the humanity coexists with the environmental crisis that elapses from the excessive use of the natural resources to propitiate the socioeconomic development. In such a way, the environmental protection is basic in the present time and it is legacy of welfare and health to the future generations. The environment protection trials comprise mechanisms, among them, the liability´s institute that acts as a powerful protection and intervention form in the Environmental Law. Thus, the present study approaches the causal nexus´ problems in the environmental liability under the standpoint of the risk society, while the damages have new forms and diffuse proportions, whose consequences are shown in the environmental liability´s traditional bases change. The uncertainties are the only certainty and the risks decisions start to integrate the comment of the causal relations in the social context of the risk. Initially, this study displays the traditional liability´s aspects in the juridical dogmatic, but they are dimensioned to the ecological damage. The study encloses the causality´s theories and their insufficiencies before the context of the risk society. It detaches the causal nexus´ problems for the environmental adversities´ complexity. It approaches still the reasons of the causality´s crisis. It demonstrates the influence of the risk society in the causal nexus and, at the end, it presents the causal context s new theories as strategies to management of the causality´s crisis with the yearning of adjusting the new social and juridical contexts with the effective responsibility about the environment.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-10-10T13:16:18Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rosélia José da Silva Carvalho - 2017.pdf: 5608804 bytes, checksum: d5bbc8da96b6580c4599b9f243eb64be (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2017-10-10T13:16:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rosélia José da Silva Carvalho - 2017.pdf: 5608804 bytes, checksum: d5bbc8da96b6580c4599b9f243eb64be (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-10T13:16:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Rosélia José da Silva Carvalho - 2017.pdf: 5608804 bytes, checksum: d5bbc8da96b6580c4599b9f243eb64be (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-06 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / The present research discusses the relationships between the mathematics teaching’s way of organization for the early years of elementary school through the Learning Trigger Situations (“LTSs”) and the appropriation of the Decimal Number System’s (DNS) conceptual nexus by participating students of Mathematics Club (CluMat). The objective is “to investigate the clues of appropriation of DNS’ conceptual nexus by students in the 4th year of Elementary School of a Municipal Public School in Goiânia/GO (Brazil), by developing “LTSs” in CluMat." The assumptions of Historical-Cultural Theory, Activity Theory, Developmental Teaching and Teaching Guiding Activity are adopted as theoretical basis, believing they guide the education process for the students’ humanization and development, and, in this context, may help to understand the teaching’s organization processes as a way of overcoming the "encapsulation of school learning". In order to understand the study’s object, a didactic experiment was organized in which Learning Trigger Situations (“LTSs”) of the SND module in CluMat were implemented in a public school in Goiânia, with twelve students. The oral and written reports of participating students in the didactic experiment subsidized the search for answers to the research question: "What are the indications that the mathematics teaching's organization through “LTSs” contributed to the appropriation of DNS’ conceptual nexus by participating students in CluMat "? To unveil the phenomenon, the analysis was performed based on the concept of ‘units’ proposed by Vigotski (2001). In this context, three units were used: 1) the collective actions and reflections in the learning space; 2) the playfulness as a characteristic in the organization of learning trigger situations and 3) the evidence of SND’s knowledge appropriation through “LTSs”. The analysis’ movement made it possible to understand that the elements 'sharing and playfulness', present in the “LTSs” organization mode of SND module, mobilized students to the study, discussion, reflection and to doubts and knowledge sharing and to the collective synthesis of ideas. This process also encouraged students to develop, in cooperation with each other, strategies, operations and actions in the search for problem solving, which contributed to a qualitative change in their actions. In general, it’s possible to infer that “LTSs” organization and dynamization contributed to CluMat students achieving a new level of development. / A presente pesquisa discute as relações entre o modo de organização do ensino de matemática para os anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental por meio de Situações Desencadeadoras de Aprendizagem (SDAs) e a apropriação dos nexos conceituais do Sistema de Numeração Decimal (SND) por estudantes participantes do Clube de Matemática (CluMat). O objetivo é “investigar os indícios de apropriação de nexos conceituais do SND por estudantes do 4º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola pública municipal de Goiânia, com o desenvolvimento de SDAs no CluMat”. Adotam-se como base teórica os pressupostos da Teoria Histórico-Cultural, da Teoria da Atividade, do Ensino Desenvolvimental e da Atividade Orientadora de Ensino, por acreditar-se que são orientadores de um processo de educação para a humanização e o desenvolvimento dos sujeitos e, nesse contexto, podem auxiliar na compreensão dos processos de organização de ensino como meio de superação do “encapsulamento da aprendizagem escolar”. Para apreender o objeto de estudo, organizou-se um experimento didático no qual foram implementadas as SDAs do módulo SND no CluMat em uma escola pública municipal de Goiânia, com doze estudantes. Os relatos orais e escritos dos estudantes participantes do experimento didático subsidiaram a busca por respostas à pergunta de pesquisa, qual seja: “Quais os indícios de que a organização do ensino de matemática por meio de SDAs contribuíram para a apropriação de nexos conceituais do SND por estudantes participantes do CluMat”? Para desvelar o fenômeno, realizou-se a análise com base no conceito de unidades proposto por Vigotski (2001). Deste modo, fez-se uso de três unidades, a saber: 1) as ações e reflexões coletivas no espaço de aprendizagem; 2) a ludicidade como característica na organização das situações desencadeadoras de aprendizagem e 3) os indícios de apropriação do conhecimento acerca do SND por meio de SDAs. O movimento de análise permitiu compreender que os elementos ‘compartilhamento e ludicidade’, presentes no modo de organização das SDAs do módulo SND, mobilizaram os estudantes ao estudo, à discussão, à reflexão, ao compartilhamento de dúvidas e conhecimentos e à síntese coletiva das ideias. Esse processo ainda incentivou os estudantes a desenvolverem, em cooperação com seus pares, estratégias, operações e ações na busca pela resolução dos problemas, o que contribuiu para uma mudança qualitativa em suas ações. De modo geral, inferimos que a forma de organização e a dinamização das SDAs contribuíram para que os estudantes participantes do CluMat atingissem um novo nível de desenvolvimento.

This study is conducted within the domains of technology convergence and Open Innovation environment. Two frameworks have been adopted in the study, namely; Nexus of Forces and Capability-Based Framework for Open Innovation. The first purpose of the investigation was to identify to what extent and in what ways does Nexus of Forces affects the knowledge capabilities within the Open Innovation environment. The second purpose of the investigation was to identify what practical implications does Nexus of Forces brings to the Open Innovation practices. The investigation was conducted on a single company – Swisscom – by following a case study strategy. The methodological approach for collecting the data was a mixed method approach with concurrent embedded strategy. The study has focused mainly on qualitative data and the quantitative data was nested with the focus to strengthen the findings. For the primary data collection, 6 respondents were selected, Expert A and Expert B for interviews and 4 managers for survey.   In regard to the first purpose, our findings have shown that practices of Nexus of Forces have strategical implications on the process of managing knowledge capabilities. The extents of the NoF implications are through a direct and indirect level for the departments, which work with Open Innovation projects and at meta-level for the higher organizational structures within the company. In regard to the second purpose, our findings have shown that practices of Nexus of Forces have tactical implications on the Open Innovation practices. The final outcome of the study is a theoretical model that displays the strategical and tactical implications of Nexus of Forces on the knowledge capabilities and Open Innovation practices within the Open Innovation environment.

A growing number of researchers within the field of security studies address the blurring line between internal and external security. Some focus on the national level while others focus on the international level and the European Union (EU). Due to the changing nature of threat perceptions since the Cold War, many scholars hold that the distinction between internal and external security is dissolving. The aim of this study is to empirically examine how internal and external security discourses are merging within the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and how this merge is connected to the EU identity construction. This study uses a poststructuralist approach on discourse analysis of EU policies, EU council documents and speeches of the high representatives. Furthermore, an analytical framework for analyzing the merging of internal and external security discourses from an identity perspective is constructed. This study concludes that discursively constructed ”links” between internal and external security is merging the two discourses. Finally, in a co-constitutive relationship, the internal-external security nexus and the EU security identity are (re)constructing each other.

Increasing demands for energy and water from a growing urban population challenges resource availability and infrastructure capacity in cities worldwide. Planning for infrastructure systems development to meet growing demands has traditionally been done separately, not regarding that these systems are in many aspects interlinked. New York City has well developed systems for supplying these basic needs, but they are among the oldest in the country and may not suffice the needs of a growing population. Meanwhile, ambitious city-planning documents recognize opportunities for holistic planning focused on resource efficiency and long-term sustainability. This thesis aims to develop a foundation for quantitative modelling of how water and energy consumption may be affected by political decisions in New York City. The MARKAL (MARKet ALlocation) framework, commonly used to model long-term energy systems developments, is expanded to include the NYC’s water system. Relevant water system technologies are quantified with economic parameters, energy input and greenhouse gas emissions to give an as realistic as possible description of the entire water system. When combined with the existing MARKAL-model over NYC's energy system, the test runs of the model clearly shows impacts on energy consumption from water system regulations. These preliminary results are not applicable to support urban policy-making at this stage. However, with further development of the model as well as improvements in data quality it is perceived that this integrated water-energy model has the potential to become a powerful decision support tool for joint planning of water and energy systems developments in New York City. This Master thesis has been conducted in collaboration with the Energy Policy and Technology Analysis Group of the Sustainable Energy Technologies Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, U.S.A.

abstract: Energy projects have the potential to provide critical services for human well-being and help eradicate poverty. However, too many projects fail because their approach oversimplifies the problem to energy poverty: viewing it as a narrow problem of access to energy services and technologies. This thesis presents an alternative paradigm for energy project development, grounded in theories of socio-energy systems, recognizing that energy and poverty coexist as a social, economic, and technological problem. First, it shows that social, economic, and energy insecurity creates a complex energy-poverty nexus, undermining equitable, fair, and sustainable energy futures in marginalized communities. Indirect and access-based measures of energy poverty are a mismatch for the complexity of the energy-poverty nexus. The thesis, using the concept of social value of energy, develops a methodology for systematically mapping benefits, burdens and externalities of the energy system, illustrated using empirical investigations in communities in Nepal, India, Brazil, and Philippines. The thesis argues that key determinants of the energy-poverty nexus are the functional and economic capabilities of users, stressors and resulting thresholds of capabilities characterizing the energy and poverty relationship. It proposes ‘energy thriving’ as an alternative standard for evaluating project outcomes, requiring energy systems to not only remedy human well-being deficits but create enabling conditions for discovering higher forms of well-being. Second, a novel, experimental approach to sustainability interventions is developed, to improve the outcomes of energy projects. The thesis presents results from a test bed for community sustainability interventions established in the village of Rio Claro in Brazil, to test innovative project design strategies and develop a primer for co-producing sustainable solutions. The Sustainable Rio Claro 2020 initiative served as a longitudinal experiment in participatory collective action for sustainable futures. Finally, results are discussed from a collaborative project with grassroots practitioners to understand the energy-poverty nexus, map the social value of energy and develop energy thriving solutions. Partnering with local private and non-profit organizations in Uganda, Bolivia, Nepal and Philippines, the project evaluated and refined methods for designing and implementing innovative energy projects using the theoretical ideas developed in the thesis, subsequently developing a practitioner toolkit for the purpose. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Sustainability 2020

The diploma thesis introduces distributed generation in context of future state of electricity markets. The subject of the thesis is to introduce new trends in electricity markets, such as flexibility, prosumers, aggregator and energy communities. Moreover, the thesis describes blockchain technology and its utilization in future state of electricity markets.

Currently, the world as we know it is undergoing many different transformations towards a more sustainable future, one of which is the energy transition. The energy transition is a wicked problem that requires transformative and creative thinking to be solved. One way to foster an innovative environment in organizations is by having a diverse workforce with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. However, the energy sector, which has a major responsibility in the transition, is currently gender-segregated. Thus, not taking advantage of diverse capabilities. This thesis studies the energy-gender nexus within a Swedish context and explores what implications a male-dominated energy sector could entail for the energy transition. This is done through a qualitative research design using two methods, (1) a document review to analyze how important actors in the Swedish energy transition currently address gender equality, (2) expert interviews to further explore these findings. The results showed that the energy-gender nexus is a complex paradigm and that opportunities and challenges to integrate more diversity often are interconnected. The main challenges were showed to be connected to presumptions of generalized gender norms, the sectorial image, and the need for structural change. Opportunities were connected to affirmative action and advocacy from initiatives or role models, and benefits from specific measurable targets. It was also concluded that more perspectives and a diversified energy sector could potentially benefit the energy transition through acceleration.

This diploma thesis clarifies the issue of Triadic nexus among Slovakia, Hungary and the Hungarian minority concerning education and economic access to areas inhabited by the Hungarian minority, which affect the graduates of minority schools in the Slovak labor market. At the same time it aspires to refer to this relationship as one of the factors that may impact on reduction in the number of members of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. The main focus is on the trilateral approach to the issue of education in the Slovak minority schools in Hungarian language in case of teaching the state language. The consequences of the different trilateral relation approach to minority education can lead to inefficiency of minority schools teaching Slovak language, which can, in conjunction with the current economic approach of Slovakia to the areas inhabited by the Hungarian minority, lead to migratory pressures on graduates of minority schools as for the choice of university studies and their employability. The lack of language skills reduces their competitiveness and flexibility compared to linguistically better equipped individuals. The statistical data in education, employment and population movements that will be analyzed and compared, are freely available, and confirm this hypothesis.